Seasonal recipes, photos and stories from an Ithaca food-lover.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

So there’s the saying “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That’s fine and good, and while I won’t turn down a glass of ice-cold homemade lemonade, I prefer to make lemon desserts with the lemons life gives me.

This cake is yet another knockout from Ina Garten; it’s super-moist and tart-sweet — great for dessert, great as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea. Actually, now that I’m thinking about it, it would be pretty good for breakfast too! So when life gives you lemons, why not make lemon yogurt cake?

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 2/3 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, heat the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cooling rack with a baking sheet, parchment paper, or foil underneath (to catch the drips.) While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

When the cake has cooled, make the glaze: combine the confectioners sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake; it will dribble down the sides and that’s just fine.

There’s something so wonderfully bright and fresh about lemon desserts, isn’t there? This looks and sounds delicious, and the yogurt helps lighten it up, I’m sure! I make a lemon flaxseed cake I bet you’d enjoy with a similar drizzled lemon sugar frosting.

Angie – glad to hear I have company in loving this cake. 🙂
Patricia – you and me both!
Maxine – I am a huge Ina fan too; every recipe I’ve tried of hers has been fantastic. Definitely give the cake a shot!
Terry B – your lemon flaxseed cake looks delicious; I’ll have to give that a try.
JEP – poppy seeds would be a great addition!

Hallo!! I’am writting from Argentina, from El Bolsòn, Patagonia.
I was looking for some good lemon cake.
I liked that kind of ingredients. then, I’m going to make this cake and see what happens with the results.
thank you.